Improved refrigerator



Patented May 22, 1866.

P. A. VOGT.

Refrigerator.

Noi 54,980.

PATENT OFFICEC PETER A. voer, oF BUFFALO, new YORK.

uviPRovED REFRIGERATOR.

Spccilication forming part ol Letters Patent No. 54,980, dated May 22, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. Voer, ot' Buffalo, in the countyY of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Refrigerators; and l do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisA specification, in whieh Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line x m ot' Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line y y ot' Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary section ofthe air-induction pipe m and trap 7s for the escapeot the water produced by the melting of the ice. Fig. 4t is a pla-u view ot' the same inverted.

Like letters designate correspoi'lding parts in all the iigures.

My invention has for its object securing a better circulation ot'air through the refrigerator and cooling the same before it is admitted into the ice-chamber by introducing it through the drip-pipe, where it is refrigerated by water that escapes from the ice-box, and discharging it at the top thereof, where, from the greater gravity produced by its low temperature, it immediately falls to the bottom, passing thereby through the whole perpendicular distance ofthe interior of the refrigerator and retraversing that space to escape, thereby economizing the ice and affording more perfect ventilation, and also to enable the ice to be supplied with greater ease and in larger quantity in relation to the capacity of the ice-compartment; and it consists iu the arrangement and device for conducting the external air through the drippipe iu contact with the water which melts from the ice and thence into the ice-chamber, and in the construction and arrangement of the door of the ice-box so as to form when operated an inclined plane, by which a large block of ice of nearly the capacit-y of the icechamber may be slid easily into the same without lifting it much above the level of the bottom of said ice-box.

As represented in the drawings, A A represent the exterior box or walls of my refrigerator, B being the ice-chamber, so placed as to leave a large space, C C, below and at one side for the reception of the articles to 'be preserved.

D is the door to the ice-box, and E is a small door below, and F a larger one by the side of the two, through which access is had to the food-chamber C (l.

The walls, top, and doors are made nou-conducting in the usual manner, and the whole is' lined with galvanized iron or other suitable nou-corrosive metal.

The icechamber is formed with removable slatsff, having spaces between them for the passage of air and water, and a tight metallic bottom, g, each side of which is provided with npturued iianges t t to retain the drippings, and between which and `the sides of the box spaces i i are left f'or the passage of the air into the chamber below, as indicated by the` arrows. The bottom g is made concave and inclined toward the back side, where the discharge-trap k and pipe l receive-aud conduct the drippings from the ice through the chamber C. The pipe Z terminates below the bottom of the refrigerator. with a billshaped mouth, through which the air collects andascends the pipe, (the space within which is only partially iilled by the escaping wateig) and passing through the trap continues to ascend by the exlension-pipe m to the top of the icechalnber, which it enters through an inductionorilice, in which the pipe terminates. The trap k surrounds the lower end of pipe m, and is so constructed that the water escapes freely through it and descends the conduit, while it is impervious to the air which must follow up the continuation. To prevent the pipe m from being bruised or injured in tillingthe chamber with ice it is deflected aside into the interior of the wall before reaching the ice-rack, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

By this arrangement the air which fills the tube lis cooled by being exposed in its passage to contact with the drops of water which are constantly7 dripping through the pipe at the temperature of melting ice, and with the sides of the metallic pipe, which are kept cold by the same means, so that it enters the ice-chamber in a condition of extremely low temperature. As it falls around the ice it is still further cooled, aud its increased densiity causes it to descend to the bottom of the preservingcham ber (l. As the-air in this chamber has a tendency' to become warmer than that which is thus entering through the ice-box, it is forced upward by the latter and crowded out of the oriticeain the top. rJlhus a en rrent is kept up by the air ascending through the drip-pipe to enter, thence falling through the ice-box to the bottom, and again rising to the top in escaping, which effectually ventlates the refrigerator. and keeps it constantly pure.

I am aware that air is introduced into the ice-chamber of many refrigerators at or near the top, which, becoming cooled by the ice, descends to the bottom but in4 this case the air enters warm, and in parting with its caloric occasions the rapid and wasteful melting ofthe ice; but-I am not aware of any instance in which the air introduced is elevated from below the refrigerator, where a cooler stratum always prevails, and refrigerated to atemperature nearly as low as the ice by its drippings, to prevent the too rapid melting thereof.

My arrangement also secures another advantage-that of preventing' any counter-currents by which the air would escape through the iuduction-oriiice, as sometimes occurs in others when the amount of ice is small, as it is obvious that no current of air could pass out of' the refrigerator through the downward course of the pipes m and l.

It is desirable to have as large a capacity to the ice-*box as possible, and important that it should be so constructed that it may receive a solid block of ice of nearly its full area. As the ice-box is necessarily at the top of the apparatus, and access to it is ordinarily had by raising a lid or cover, it becomes extremely di fticult to get large blocks introduced, as tongs cannot be used atsuch an elevation, and the mass is so smooth and heavy that it is liable to slip from the hand and fall when raised so high. Hence the ice is often broken into smaller pieces, for convenience of handling, by which great waste occurs from its melting more rapidly.

To obviate this serious defect I construct my refrigerator with the top or cover permanently closed, and provide in the side of the.

ice-box, preferably in front, a door, D, hinged.

at the bottom to fall outward, and provided with suspension-braces o at each side, formed I ofthe are ot' a circle, and passing through the sides orjamb of the opening. These are of a suitable length to allow the door to fall only so far as to preserve a slight inclination toward the interior, as shown in Fig. 2, and upon the ice being laid upon its outer extremity it will slide in of its own gravity, and by this means blocks that will closely fill the chamber can be used with ease, as they can be guided so as to pass through the door without harm. This saves much labor and trouble, besides the economy ot' retaining the ice of the largest possible size. It is also more accessible to cut smaller pieces from to supply the table than when access is had from the top.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the induction air-passage through the drip-pipe Z and extension-pipe m, in combination with the tra-p 7c or its equivalent, whereby the air entering is carried to the top of the ice-chamber and cooled in its passage, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in Athe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER A. VOG'I.

Witnesses:

JAY HYATT, J AMES C. BROWN. 

